Mechanism for forming wire fabric



' Aug. 22, 1933.

w. c. WILSON 1,923,900

MECHANISM FOR FORMING WIRE FABRIC 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 28, 1.932

1933- w. c. WILSON 1,923,900

MECHANISM FOR FORMING WIRE FABRIC Filed July 28, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2W. C. WILSON MECHANISM FOR FORMING WIRE FABRIC ju/F/ a z/5m 49 WPatented Aug. 22, 1933 osirso STATES MECHANISM FOR FORMING WIRE FABRICWalter C. Wilson, Western Springs, Ill., assignor to InternationalHarvester Company, a Corporation of New Jersey Application July 28,1932. Serial No. 625,472

13 Claims. (Cl. 140-105) This invention relates to a mechanism formaking reenforced sheets and fabrics and units built up of suchmaterial. More particularly it relates to a machine for forming wirefabric and air filter units of crimped wire.

Y The principal object of the invention is to devise a'mechanismforforming sheets and fabrics consisting of layers of material ofreenforcing material intermediate the layers. Another object is todevise a machine for crimping wire and for forming the crimped wire intoa fabric;

Another object is to devise a machine for forming filter units ofcrimped wire, which are .of substantially uniform resistance to air flowand which are structurally capable of withstanding vibration and otherforces to which they are subjected. A more specific object is to devisea machine operative to form a continuous fabriclike layer of crimpedwire and to wind said layer into a cylindrical spool.

These and other objects, which will be apparent, are accomplished by aconstruction formed on a machine as shown in the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of one sideof a machine particularly designedto form filter units embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is an elevation of the other side of the machine shown inFigure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, showingin addition the spool rack and the spools mounted thereon which supplythe wire to the machine;

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail showing the means for connecting thecrimped wire fabric to the winding spool at the beginning of theformation of a filter unit; and

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the same machine shown in Figures 1 and2, with the wire crimping portion of the machine shown in section.

A plurality of spools of wire are rotatably mounted on spindles 11 whichare vertically positioned on the shelves 12 of the spool rack 13. Anydesired number of spools of wire may be mounted .oneach shelf. Thespools may be freely rotatable or frictionally engaged with the spindles11 to maintain the wire under slight tension. The machine'which performsthe crimping and winding operations is mounted on a frame structure 14,which may be of any conventional construction. Said frame structureincludes, as a rigid part, thereof, vertically extending side plates 15.Transversely extending bars 16 adjacent, respectively, thebottom and topof the side plates 15, extend transversely at one end.

A plurality of spaced vertical bars 17 are connected to the bars 16. Alower pair of rollers 18, an intermediate pair of rollers 19, and anupper pair of rollers 20 are horizontally mounted transversely betweenthe plates 15 adjacent the ends thereof at which the bars 1'7 arepositioned. Each pair of said rollers is similarly formed with axiallyextending crimping teeth 21. These rollers may be termed as axiallycorrugated, although the teeth 21 are similar to the teeth ordinarilyemployed in gears.

The teeth, however, are so formed as to not cut the wire being passedtherethrough and crimped by the teeth. The shaft 22 rotatably mountedbetween the side plates 15 of the frame scribed, carries a chainsprocket 23 non-rotatably mounted thereon. Said sprocket is connected bya chain 24 to a sprocket wheel 25, which is nonrotatably mounted on ashaft 26. The shaft 26 carries the lower roller of the upper pair 20. Asecond sprocket 2'7 is also mounted on the shaft 22. Said sprocket isconnected by a chain 28 to a sprocket 29, non-rotatably mounted on ashaft 30 which carries the lower roller of the pair 21. It will beunderstood that by this sprocket and chain construction the lowerrollers of the pairs 18 and 20 are driven in an anti-clockwisedireation, the upper rollers being driven by the lower rollers in a clockwisedirection.

At a location forwardly spaced from the three pairs of rollers a fourthpair 31 arranged parallel with respect to the first mentioned pairs, isrotatably mounted between the side plates 15 in substantially horizontalalignment with the center pair 19. These rollers are corrugated orformed with teeth similar to the others. The lower roller 31 is mountedon the shaft 22 previously referred to. Said shaft also projects throughthe side plate 15 of the frame structure at the side opposite to thelocation of the sprock ets, 23 and 27, previously described. A large.diameter fiywheel 32 is mounted on said end of the shaft 22 outside theside plate 15. The fiywheel 32 is circumferentiallygrooved to form apulley for carrying ,a belt 33, which also extends around the pulley 34of an electric motor 35. Said motor is mounted above the frame structureon a bracket 36 rigidly secured thereto. An idler pulley 37 is providedfor maintaining the tension of the belt. r

A chain sprocket 38 is secured to the shaft 22 between the pulley 32 andthe side plate. Said sprocket is connected by a chain '39 to a chainsprocket 40 fixed to a projecting'end of a shaft structure for a purposeto be hereinafter de- 1 construction drives the center pair of rollersat a much higher rate of speed than the upper and lower pairs 18 and 26.A horizontally extending braclret i2 is rigidly secured to one sideplate of the frame structure. Said bracket serves as a mounting meansfor a winding spool 43. A grooved pulley id is mounted concentricallywith the spool for driving the same. A belt 45 connects said pulley witha grooved pulley 46 mounted on the shaft 22. Said pulleys are ofsubstantially the same diameter. A friction clutch is interposed betweenthe pulley 44 and the spool 43. Said clutch consists of two matingportions 4;? formed on the end of the spool and i8 formed on the pulleyas, said portions being resiliently engaged by a comparatively lightpressure spring 49, Said spring is mounted around a shaft 50 rigidlysecured to the bracket 42. The pulley is and the spool 43 are rotatablymounted on said haft. A nut 51 threaded on the end of the shaft 50 formsan abutment for the one end of the spring l9, the other abutting the endof the spool. V

The driving spool 43 is provided at one end with a radial flange 52substantially larger in diameter than the diameter of the largest spoolsof the unit to be wound. Near the center of the spool said flange isprovided with an opening 53. To secure the web or fabric to the spoolwhen a new unit is started, a securing member is pro-- vided. Saidmember consists of a collar 54 which is adapted to fit over "he end ofthe spool oppo site the flange 52. Said member is also provided with afinger-lile portion 55, which extends from, the collar axially along thespool and is of a length sufficient to be fitted into the opening 53.With the machine set up as shown in Figure 5, the operation will beclear from the description above given of the crimping and windingmechanism. The wires from the set of spools on the lower rack extendaround the guide bars 17, which maintain them in evenly spaced relation,and between the lower pair of corrugated rollers 18. Said rollers crimpthe wire, as illustrated in Figure 5. The crimped set of wires are thenpassed between the crimped rollers 31. The wires from the spools ontheupper shelf of the rack are fed through the rollers 20 the rollers 32 inthe same manner. As previously described, the rollers 18 and 20, as wellas the rollers 81, are driven at substantially the same speed, the wiresbeing delivered from the set of spools on the center shelf are fedbetween the rollers 19. As previously described, these rollers arerotated at a speed several times the speed of the rollers 18 and 20 andcorrespondingly several times the speed of the rollers 31. As a resultthe crimped wire is delivered from the rollers 19 at a speed much fasterthan it is being taken through the rollers 31. As a result said wireforms loops, as shown in Figure 3, and is thrown in various directionsup and down and crosswise. However, the two converging sets of wiresfrom the rollers 18 and 20 engage the looped wire and press it down asall three sets of wires are fed through the'compacting or bondingrollers 31. It has been found that a machine operated in this mannerwill form a web or fabric of wires with the center set of wiresextending more or less regularly transversely across the other two sets.A web or fabric is thus formed which has a crosswise support.

To start a new spool the end of the web or fabric is secured to thespool by the securing member, as described, by inserting the end of theweb under the fingerlike element 55. The spool is driven by the belt 45,the clutch being constructed to at all times maintain the proper tensionon the web being wound without exerting too much force to wind the spoolor filter unit tighter than is desirable.

A unit constructed in the manner as described, is very uniform incomposition. The inspection of the structure by a light transmittedthrough a portion of the unit shows that the wires are uniformly spacedand'that the center set of wires forms a support axially of the unit.This is a very desirable construction as the unit is particularlydesigned for use in an air cleaner of the liquid type, such as shown inmy U. S. Patents Nos. 1,838,511, 1,838,512 and 1,83%,"13, December 29,1931. By forming the units by the methods known in prior practice it wasfound that after a period of operation with the unit positioned with theaxis in a vertical direction, the entire unit settled down, that is, thewires settled closer together. This was due to the absence of supportthe vertical direction. It was to overcome diiliculties of this kindthat the present filter unit was de vised and constructed. The machinewas also devised to form a unit of this particular construc tion,although it is possible that the machine may have other uses for makingunits or fabrics of a similar construction.

Applicant has shown and described a'filter unit I and a particularmachine for constructi g said unit. However, it is to be understood thathe claims as his invention all modifications falling within the scopeor" the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A device for forming reeniorced sheet-like material which comprisesmeans for feeding two layers or" material in spaced r lation withrespect to each other at a uniform speed, means for feeding a series offlexible elements between the two layers at a much higher rate of speed,and means for compacting the two layers and the flexible elementstogether the difference in the rate of delivery speed being efiective tothrow the flexible elements transversely across the layers of material.2. A device for forming a fabric which comprises means for feeding twosets of spaced flexible elements at a substantiallyuniform speed, saidsets being ispacedrelation with respect to each other, means for feedinga third set of spaced flexible elements at a much higher rate ofdelivery between said sets, and means for compacting the three sets oielements together, the higher rate of delivery of the intermediate setof elements being effective to throw said elements transversely betweenthe other two sets of elements. p I

V 3. A device for forming filter fabric which comprises means forfeeding two sets of spaced wires under tension suflicient to hold themin position said two sets being spaced apart with respect to each other,means for feeding a third set' of spaced wires at a much higher rate ofspeed between said sets, and means for crimping the three sets of wirestogether, the elements of the intermediate set of wires being throwntransversely across. the elements of the other two sets. 4. A device forforming fabric of crimped wire which comprises means for crimping anddelivering two series of spaced wires ata substantially uniform rate ofdelivery, means for crimping and delivering a third series of wires anddelivering them between the first mentioned series at a much higher rateof speed whereby the wires of the third series are thrown transverselyacross the other two series, and means for compacting the three seriesof wires into a fabric.

5. A device for forming a filter unit of crimped wire which comprisesmeans for separately crimping and delivering two series of spaced wires,means for crimping a third series of wires and delivering them betweenthe first mentioned series at a much higher rate of speed, means forcompacting the three series of wires, and means for winding the web soformed into a unit.

6. A device for forming air' filter fabric of wire which comprises twospaced pairs of crimping rollers horizontally mounted on a framestructure, means for driving said rollers at substantially the samespeed, a third pair of mating corrugated rollers horizontally mounted onthe frame structure between the first named pairs, means for drivingsaid rollers at a rate substantially greater than the speed of the twopairs,

means for delivering wire to be crimped to all three pairs of rollers,and a fourth set of crimping rollers horizontally mounted on the framestructure positioned to receive the crimped wires from the other threesets of rollers.

'7; A device for forming air filter units of wire which comprises twospaced pairs ofmating corrugated rollers horizontally mounted on a framestructure, means for driving said rollers at substantially the samespeed, a third pair of mating corrugated rollers horizontally mounted onthe frame structure between the first named pairs, means for drivingsaid rollers at a rate substantially greater than the speed of the twopairs, means for delivering wire to be crimped to all three pairs ofrollers, spaced vertical guides positioned to maintain the wires inequally spaced relationship prior to passage through the rollers, and afourth set of mating corrugated rollers horizontally mounted on theframe structure positioned to receive the corrugated wires from theother three sets of rollers.

8. A device for forming air filter units of wire which comprises twospaced pairs of mating corrugated rollers horizontally mounted on aframe structure, means for driving said rollers at substantially thesame speed, a third pair of mating corrugated rollers horizontallymounted on the frame structure between the first named pairs, means fordriving said rollers at a rate substantially greater than the speed ofthe two pairs, means for delivering wire to be crimped to all threepairs of rollers, spaced vertical guides positioned to maintain thewires in equally spaced relationship prior to passage through therollers, a fourth set of mating corrugated rollers horizontally mountedon the frame structure positioned to receive the corrugated wires fromthe other three sets of rollers, a winding spool horizontally mounted onthe frame structure, means for driving said spool, and means forsecuring the crimped wires being delivered from the fourth set ofrollers to the spool whereby a crimped wire unit is formed.

9. A device for forming'a reinforced sheet-like material which comprisesmeans for feeding two layers of material in spaced relation with respectto each other, means for delivering a series of prises meansfor feedingtwo sets of spaced flexible elements in spaced relation with respect toeach other, means for feeding a third set of flexible elements betweensaid two sets with portions of the third set transversely positionedwith respect to the elements of the two sets, and means for compactingthe three sets of elements together.

11. A device for forming a filter fabric which comprises means forfeeding two sets of spaced wires under tension sufficient to hold themin position, said two sets being spaced apart with respect to eachother, means for feeding a third set of wires between said two sets withportions of the third set being positioned substantially transverselywith respect to the first two sets, and means for crimping the threesets of wires together.

12. A device for forming fabric of crimped wire which comprises meansfor crimping and delivering two series of spaced wires at asubstantially uniform rate of delivery, means for crimping anddelivering a third series of wires between the two first mentionedseries with portions of said third series arranged at angles withrespect to the first two series, and means for compacting the threeseries of wires together into a fabric.

13. A device for forming a filter unit of crimped wire which comprisesmeans for separately crimping and delivering two series of spaced wires,means for delivering a third series of wires between said two serieswith portions of the third series positioned at angles with respect tothe wires of the first two series, means for compacting the three seriesof wires, and means for winding the web so formed into a unit.

WALTER C. WILSON.

